Allen struggles on abortion questions

Republican George Allen is well aware he needs to close the gender gap with women in order to win the Virginia Senate race.

The severity of that challenge was on full display Monday night in his fourth debate with Democrat Tim Kaine.

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When asked about proposals in the GOP-led General Assembly’s this year to require an ultrasound before women could get an abortion and to codify that life begins at conception — so-called “personhood” legislation — Allen punted and pivoted.

“Some of those issues are state issues on informed consent,” Allen replied, before shifting to contraceptive access, which was not brought up in the question. “I would never prohibit contraceptives. I think women ought to be able to have access and should be able to have access to contraceptives.”

Allen then said a “personhood” bill would help punish a woman’s attacker who kills or injures an unborn child. But the remainder of his time was devoted to slicing Kaine on the country’s unemployment and downgraded credit rating.

While the answer wasn’t a gaffe, it was a glaring moment during the hour-long Richmond face-off that encapsulated Allen’s difficulty in making inroads with females.

Kaine dubbed the legislature’s attempts a “vivid and horrifying spectacle last year” and made clear Allen wasn’t comfortable addressing the issue.

“When the legislature tried to force women to have an invasive ultrasound proceeding against their will, medically unnecessary, at their own cost, I spoke out against it strongly. George Allen took no position on it,” Kaine charged.

He also hammered home that Allen touted support for a “personhood” amendment on his campaign website, warning that it “could jeopardize FDA-approved birth control.”

“You can’t empower women in the economy if you take away their choices,” Kaine said.

The exchange was one of the starkest of the evening in a race that has recently tilted slightly towards Kaine over the last two weeks.

Allen has crafted an ad campaign targeted at females, but recent polls in the race have actually shown the gender gap widening.

A Public Policy Polling survey released Monday showing Kaine ahead had him holding a 12-point advantage among women, 53 percent to 41 percent. His lead among men was pegged at just 2 points.

The two sparred on a host of other familiar issues, but there were no game-changing moments. Kaine consistently touted his work across the aisle and Allen called out his rival’s support for President Obama.

At one point, Allen said Kaine should’ve rejected Obama’s overture to head the Democratic National Committee while he was serving as governor.

“You could’ve said, ‘I appreciate the offer, but I have a job,’” Allen said.

Kaine used his opening statement to respond to Mitt Romney’s much-discussed answer during last week’s presidential debate regarding funding to PBS.

“I pledge to not fire Big Bird … if I go to the United States Senate,” he said.